Canadian Election Live Blog

Running commentary starts here at 9PM

Live Election Totals (155 needed for majority)

Conservative Party of Canada 137

Liberal Party of Canada 73

Bloc Québécois 47

New Democratic Party 34

Others 2

Numbers taken from the CBC

Final "Predictions" 40th Parliament of Canada

Conservative Party of Canada 128 (+1)
Liberal Party of Canada 87 (-11)
Bloc Québécois 51 (+2)
New Democratic Party 40 (+10)
Others 2 (-2)

Government: Conservative Minority of 41

8:09 PM: I'll be starting the official live blog at 9 PM EST. Of course this should be rather interesting as while I'd like to think that I'm more knowledgeable of Canadian politics than the stereotypical "ugly American", my background is still fairly sketchy. Hell, I'm sort of surprised that Chrétien isn't the Prime Minister any more. So, if anyone sees any obvious mistakes on my end, please let me know. Thanks.

8:55 PM: Well it's almost time to get this thing started. Almost everyone assumes that Harper and the Tories will win another minority government. Still the CSPAN feed starts in a couple of minutes and we'll see if the prediction makers, myself included, are correct or if either Harper can get a majority of  Dion and the Liberals can some how sneak into government.

9:00 PM: Game on

9:02 PM: Or not, evidently the US feed only starts making declarations at 9:30 PM. 

9:05 PM: I have to say that one lesson we could take from Canadian Election Coverage is showing comedy skits while waiting for the polls to close.

9:10 PM: Rays 5, Red Sox 1 (What?)

9:21 PM: Okay, back to watching the C-SPAN feed of the CBC coverage.

9:29 PM: Looks like things are actually about to get started now.

9:32 PM: Tories lose 3 in Newfoundland, take a majority in PEI, MacKay wins big over May, denying the Green leader a seat in Parliament. Grits out to an early lead, but slightly down from 2006 numbers.

9:37 PM: As always the Liberals run out to an early lead from the Atlantic Provinces, which might hold at least until the Prairies start to report

9:45 PM: I have to say the CBC's habit of counting leaders instead of just races that have already been called is starting to annoy me, as it makes keeping the running tally a bit of a problem. Grits are down in Atlantic Provinces and Ontario. Tories take the first lead of the evening.

9:49 PM: Liberals down about 7 points in Ontario, the big question is if this is enough of a drop off to give the Tories an opening for a majority?

10:01 PM: The CBC has called the election for the Conservatives, with the margin the only question.

Conservative Marginal Defenses (28)

Avalon 

St. John's East

St. John's South-Mount Pearl

Tobique-Mactaquac

Central Nova

Beauport-Limoilou

Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles

Louis-Hébert

Pontiace

Burlington

Glengarry-Prescott-Russell

Mississauga Streetsville

Oshawa

Ottawa-Orleans

Parry Sound-Muskoka

Thunder Bay-Superior North

Winnipeg South

Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River

Palliser

Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar

Regina-Lumsden-Lake Centre

Edmonton Strathcona

Fleetwood-Port Kells

Kamloops-Thomson-Cariboo

Nanaimo-Alberni

Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission

Richmond

Vancouver Kingsway

Liberal Marginal Defenses (27)

Egmont

Fredericton

Madawaska-Restigouche

Saint John

West Nova

Honoré-Mercier

Hull-Aylmer

Laval-Les Isles

Lasalle-Emard

Westmount-Ville-Marie

Beaches-East York 

Brant

Halton

Huron-Bruce

Mississauga South

Newmarket-Aurora

Oakville

Thunder Bay-Rainy River

Churchill

Saint Boniface

Winnipeg South Centre

Wascana

Nunavut

Newton-North Delta

North Vancouver

Vancouver Centre 

Vancouver Quadra

NDP Marginal Defenses (10)

Halifax

Outremont

Hamilton East-Stoney Creek

London-Fanshawe

Ottawa Centre

Parkdale-High Park

Western Arctic

Burnaby-Douglas

Surrey North

Vancouver Island North

Bloc Marginal Defenses (10)

Ahuntsic

Berthier-Maskinonge

Brossard-La Prairie

Chicoutimi-Le Fjord

Gatineau

Jeanne-Le Ber

Papineau

Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot

Sherbrooke

Vaudreuil-Soulanges 

Indy Marginal Defenses (1)

Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley